18 September 2015

Two Could Have Defeated Thousands

Back in 2003 my friend's father, Amir Badiei, compiled Stories Told by `Abdu'l-Baha, but it wasn't until this year that I got a copy and started reading. I have been impressed from the start with its witty, funny, and insightful stories, not about `Abdu'l-Baha, but told by him to illustrate a point.

One of the stories that I had never heard before was about a time when thousands of people came to kill Baha'u'llah in Baghdad, providing a close parallel to the gangs of armed men who followed Muhammad to Medina to exterminate the early Muslims. This was, of course, before Baha'u'llah declared publicly and renounced holy war.

Two Could Have Defeated Thousands
[Edited for clarity]

When the Islamic clergy and Nasiri'd-Din Shah sent `Abdu'l-Husayn to Iraq, he began agitating against Baha'u'llah. He gathered many clergy at Kazimayn, near Baghdad, and began talk of waging a holy war. Soon a large number of Persians and Shi`ih Arabs congregated there.

Those gathered in Kazimayn then arranged to come two days later and attack us. We were only forty-six in all and our strong man was Aqa Asadu'llah, whose dagger would dangle and touch the ground.

There was a certain Siyyid Hasan from Shiraz. He was not a believer, but he was a very good man. One morning, when Baha'u'llah had been up and about, this Siyyid Hasan came knocking at our door. Much agitated, he asked, 'Where is the Aqa [Baha'u'llah]?' I said, 'He has gone to the riverside.' 'What is it that you say?' he responded. I offered him tea and said, 'He will come back.' He replied, 'Aqa! The world has been turned upside down... It has become turbulent... Do you know that last night they held a council... How is it that Baha'u'llah has gone to the riverside? They have decided to start their attack tomorrow.'

Whilst he was telling me what had happened, Baha'u'llah came in. Siyyid Hasan wanted immediately to express his anxiety. But Baha'u'llah said, 'Let us talk of other matters', and went on speaking. Later, Siyyid Hasan insisted on unburdening himself. However, Baha'u'llah told him, 'It is of no consequence.' So Siyyid Hasan stayed for lunch and then went home.

Later in the afternoon the friends gathered around Baha'u'llah. Amongst them were two who were double-faced. He turned to the Friends and said, 'Have you heard the news? The [clergy] and the Consul have come together and gathered ten to twenty thousand people round them to wage jihad against Us.'

Then He addressed the two double-faced men, 'Go and tell them, by the One God, the Lord of all, I will send two men to drive them away, all the way to Kazimayn. If they are capable of accepting a challenge, let them come.'

The two hurried away and repeated what they had heard. And do you know, they dispersed!

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